𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 ☂︎︎ five hargreeves ¹

𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃
( chapter seven )

☂︎︎

"𝐈 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐒." Five described his time in the apocalypse. "Canned food, cockroaches."

Alora gagged. She would rather die than eat a cockroach.

"Anything I could find." He chuckled weakly. "You know that rumour that Twinkies have an endless shelf life? Well, it's total bullshit."

"I can't even imagine." Vanya sympathised.

"You do whatever it takes to survive, or you die." Five said, sipping his coffee. "So we adapted. Whatever the world threw at us, we found a way to overcome it."

"We?" Vanya asked, voicing Alora's thought.

"Got anything stronger?" Five held up his cup.

Vanya poured him a glass of bourbon, the boy taking a sip. Vanya stared at him, causing the boy to laugh emotionlessly. "You think I'm crazy."

"No!" Vanya stammered. "It's just... it's a lot to take in."

Exactly what don't you understand?" Five spat.

"Why didn't you just time travel back?"

"Vanya-" Alora started, waving her arm around as she laid on the couch.

Five scoffed, "Gee, wish I thought of that. Time travel is a crapshoot. I went into the ice and never acorn-ed. You think I didn't try everything to get back to my family?"

Vanya nodded wordlessly before speaking, "If you grew old there, you know, in the apocalypse, how come you still look like a kid?"

"I told you already," Five gritted. "I must have got the equations wrong."

"I mean, Dad always used to say that.. time travel could mess up your mind." She said. "Well, maybe that's what's happening?"

Alora inhaled, pulling a face and sitting up.

"This was a mistake." He put the glass down. "You're too young, too naive to understand."

"No, Five- Five, wait."

"Are we leaving?" Alora stood up, grabbing her coat and throwing in on. Five stood at the door, about to open it.

"I haven't seen you in a long time, and I don't want to lose you again. That's all.  And you know what- it's getting late and I have lessons early and I need to sleep, and I'm sure you both do, too."

"I don't." Alora put her hands up. "I spent fourteen years asleep, I don't need anymore. I'm like Sleeping Beauty."

Vanya walked to the couch and set up a bed for the boy, Alora sighing and taking off her coat.

"We'll talk in the morning again. Okay? I promise." Vanya reassured. "Night."

"Night." Five nodded.

"Goodnight." Alora sighed, waving as Vanya entered her room, closing the door behind her. Five sat down on the couch and pulled something out of his pocket.